Inside Israel–US strategy to dismantle Iran’s security apparatus

Campaign to cripple Iran’s security state

Even as Israel and the United States intensify their sweeping military campaign against Iran, a distinct pattern has emerged: a sustained effort to dismantle Tehran’s internal security architecture.

According to a Wall Street Journal analysis, the broader objective is to weaken what it describes as a “police state” to such an extent that a popular uprising could eventually topple the Islamic Republic. What does this strategy involve? Here’s a breakdown.

A campaign targeting the regime’s core (June 2025–March 2026)

Between June 2025 and March 2026, Israeli and US operations increasingly focused on Iran’s internal security leadership and military command structure.

Operation Rising Lion — June 2025

June 13: A large-scale strike on the IRGC Joint Headquarters in Tehran killed Commander-in-Chief Hossein Salami and Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri.

June 14: Israeli aircraft struck the Ministry of Defense and the Organisation of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND), Iran’s principal military research and development centre.

June 15: Precision strikes targeted the IRGC Intelligence Organisation, killing its commander Mohammad Kazemi and his deputy.

June 18: Israel announced the complete destruction of the Internal Security Headquarters in Tehran after approximately 50 fighter jets carried out coordinated attacks.

June 21: An Israeli airstrike inflicted heavy damage on the headquarters of the Iranian Cyber Police (FATA) in Tehran.

June 23: Evin Prison and the Basij Paramilitary Headquarters in Tehran were struck, significantly undermining key institutions used for domestic repression.

Operation Roaring Lion — February–March 2026

February 28: A joint US–Israeli strike destroyed the Pasteur Street Compound — considered the leadership’s nerve centre — resulting in the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and members of his inner security circle.

March 1: The IDF flattened the General Staff of the Internal Security Forces and the Thar-Allah Headquarters, responsible for Tehran’s security. Airstrikes also destroyed the Tehran Revolutionary Court, a central judicial-security body used against political dissidents.

March 3: Coordinated strikes targeted the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) and the Law Enforcement Command (LEC) headquarters in Marivan.

Cyber warfare and financial disruption

Alongside airstrikes, non-kinetic operations formed a key part of the strategy.

June 2025: The hacker group “Predatory Sparrow” crippled Bank Sepah, the institution responsible for paying military and security personnel.

February 2026: A major cyber offensive reduced Iran’s national internet connectivity to just 4%, effectively disrupting digital communications within the internal security system during active military strikes.

Crippling the Domestic Control Machinery

The campaign expanded beyond military and nuclear targets to systematically degrade structures used to suppress dissent.

Basij Paramilitary Forces: Multiple command centres and bases linked to the Basij militia — tasked with quelling protests — were struck in Tehran, Isfahan and Tabriz.

Law Enforcement Command (LEC): Headquarters, particularly in volatile areas such as Kurdistan Province — where the 2022–2023 Mahsa Amini protests were most intense — were specifically targeted.

Propaganda Infrastructure: The Israeli Air Force destroyed Iran’s primary state communications centre, including Iranian television facilities, as well as Hezbollah-affiliated outlets such as al-Manar, aiming to disrupt the regime’s messaging and coordination.

The strategy of ‘systemic decapitation’

According to The Wall Street Journal assessment, Israeli officials have moved from merely “weakening” Tehran to openly pursuing regime change.

Simultaneously, cyber operations slashed internet connectivity to 4% of normal levels, limiting the ability of security forces to respond to both external attacks and potential internal unrest.

With more than 300 missile launchers reportedly destroyed as of March 3, the coalition’s strategy appears aimed at shielding Israeli and US interests while signalling to the Iranian public that the regime can no longer safeguard its own infrastructure, according to international media reports.

Iran has retaliated under Operation True Promise 4, launching hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel, the UAE and Qatar. One such strike reportedly damaged the US AN/FPS-132 radar system in Qatar.

(With agency inputs)